UKGPL Season 21 (2011) Graduates (67) - Kyalami - Jul 3

[b_1_rd]

Still out so won't make the race. Have fun all!

[Beefpie]

Connection dropped just as the race was about to start @"$%  

Have fun

[BadBlood]

Hmmm. Ninth due to a distinct lack of people around. Never driven the Brab before but it got me a PB. I am hoping I have the tokens thing right and I could drive the Brabham with no tokens to start with - i.e. I used my tokens from the start to drive with - is that how it works? Otherwise another exclusion and the BRM next time...

Had a good battle with Hannah but he was warping worse than a klingon battlecruiser and we had a coming together or five... Geoff decided to ramrod me into Crowthorne as he was demonstrating the Honda's potent straight line... don't know how he survived that one. I took out Hendy at Crowthorne by going left instead of right... oh and I bumped into him on Lap 1 but that REALLY wasn't my fault.

Long and tedious was how it felt really. Excluded or not I think I may skip a few of these over the next month or so. I've lost my Mojo. Didn't really enjoy the Porsche race, was terrible at Albi (which was HUGELY disappointing) and this was a slog.

Ah well at least I don't have to race the Historics...

[Geoff65]

Hmmm. Ninth due to a distinct lack of people around. Never driven the Brab before but it got me a PB. I am hoping I have the tokens thing right and I could drive the Brabham with no tokens to start with - i.e. I used my tokens from the start to drive with - is that how it works? Otherwise another exclusion and the BRM next time...

Geoff decided to ramrod me into Crowthorne as he was demonstrating the Honda's potent straight line... don't know how he survived that one. 

Yes, apologies for that Paul. It's straightline speed wasn't a whole lot more than your Brab, but the extra weight, even braking early caught me out a bit.The Brab pulled up really well and though I tried to miss you by going off......I clipped your rear wheel with my front....  How it survived the crunch at the end I do not know, as after an innocuos little spin, slide and bump into the railing at Sunset on lap 5 bent the car bad enough to require a reset...?

6 bloody spins!!        I'm outstripping the Australian Government for spin at the moment.         Qually was average to say the least, managed to hold onto 7th by the skin of my teeth. Got a blinding, tyre-smoking start and was 3rd into Crowthorne for the first time. Fought off a challenge from Fabio over the first couple of laps and watched the Ross and Ray Show     pull away into the distance, as I had no chance of matching their pace. It all went sort of, pear shaped, not long after that. Outbraked myself into Sunset on lap 5 or 6 and bent the car after a minor slap on the armco.......Had a further 5 or so spins, a reset and stop n go......and basicaly an ordinary race after that. Very lucky to finish 6th with Bill running off and Bernie disappearing on the last lap.......gutted for you mate. You were carrying good speed in the green tank. Hearty congratulations to my Teamie Ross for driving an excellent race......also Ray for 2nd and Mike, my old partner in grime.....for his steady 3rd. Well done lads.

[miner2049er]

Prep for this was really bad with a dead hard drive and a Windows Repair during the week. Left it until Sunday afternoon to try running GPL which I assumed would be fine, but unfortunately my Wheel and Pedals refused to calibrate.

Spent an hour or so fixing that and then couldn't be bothered driving so I went and sat in the sun again.

Qually was OK but not great and I started 8th but had the pace to get to about 4th if I'd stuck it all in one lap.

The start was very strange, I could hear everyone else's engine but not mine and when the flag dropped I lit up the rears and spun into the wall on the right. Had I gone left it would have been carnage, but luckily I went right and had a nice drive down the pit lane giving my mechanics a nasty shock as they threw their cups of tea aside and ran for the jack. They were most annoyed that I kept going and rejoined the track in last place.

Spent the first couple of laps warming everything up and overtaking the early spinners, and for some reason found my self rising to 3rd ahead of a chasing Bernie. A slight excursion later and Bernie and Michael Turner slipped past so I was back in 5th and catching Michael slowly.

Started to push a bit and closed in on Michael and plotted a way past as he went defensive. Not sure if he thought I was a leader but he seemed to let me past at Sunset so I took the position and then covered the inside at Clubhouse where he forgot to brake and sent me into the air. I landed and expected to see my mirrors full of flames but for some reason the car kept going and I caught and passed him into T1 with a move so slick and professional I repeated a few laps later after an off let him past again.

Once that was done I could pull away from him and was happy to settle for 4th as Bernie was out of reach but luckily for me he disappeared with about 2 or 3 to go and I scraped onto the last step of the podium.

Have to say thanks to the backmarkers who all let my battered and bruised Brabham past, especially Paul(I think) into T2 and Hannah into T1 with a move so slick and professional ..... you get the drift.

Good result and I'm glad I showed up despite considering attacking the bottle of Scrumpy on the shelf instead.

[Michael Turner]

I had a poor qualifying finishing up near the back of the grid but made up quite a few places at the start as the pole side of the grid got bogged down behind a slow starter. However I threw it all away by spinning off at T2 ending up at the back of the field. I managed to climb back up having a few interesting skirmishes en route especially with Mike James (sorry for the bump - glad you emerged in one piece to continue the battle) and eventually finished a respectable 4th.

I couldn't seem to find any pace in the race not even to match my poor qualifying times and was easily passed by fellow Cooperite Bernie who effortlessly pulled away before meeting disaster at a later point in the race.

[BadBlood]

LOL - reading these has made me feel a lot better

I wondered who it was nipping back to the pits for a cup of tea in the pits - lazy boy...

As for Geoff, the spinning kept me interested for a while but every time I caught him, I thought "I MUST remain calm and lap steadily. There he is. Heart pump pump pump - arrrgggghhhh I've spun"

Mike T passed me round about lap 30 and then I caught him back up and had to brake a bit heavier than normal - "ooh I could pass him back here... arrrgggghhhh I've spun"

Mr Turner broke my heart a bit as I set a PB in qually and saw he was just 0.07 up the road - "right put a hot lap in.... arrrgggghhhh I've spun" When I got past the line the gap had grown to 1.4 secs (b*st@rd)

Well done all.

[maddog]

Things started well enough at Kyalami, as I put in a modest practice run, and expected more to come.  But then, it happened . . . things suddenly became rather quiet.  Hmm . . . fuel shortage perhaps, seemed unlikely.  No, discovered it was the extension cord, used to control the volume to my earphones - the Weevils had been at it!  I quickly switched to direct sound input, and was quickly reminded why F1 drivers use earplugs!  

To try to deaden the sound, I first tried a rubber band around my ear, to sort of dangle one earphone close by.  Unsatisfactory.  No cotton wool to hand, but plenty of paper towel, so proceeded to bung some left and right.  Success!  Still rather loud, but thus is life. Onward to victory!  

With enough time still, to improve my laptime, I was unambiguously thrown from the circuit. My new connection is proving to be rather tenuous, with expulsions coming regardless of behaviour!  Reentered, but the same happened again, as the grid procedure commenced - race over!

Apologies to my fellow front runners, who were expecting a spot of dicing from hereabouts.  Sounds like a great run for returnee, Ross, and a dismal 2nd place for poor Ronnie - it's all relative you know.  Until I get my connections sorted, this combatant won't be disappearing into the distance, but into infinity!

Oh, and any messages of condolance should be typed rather loudly - think some paper towel may still be active . . . grumble.

[vosblod]

Results uploaded, I can't check for Stop and Go's in Privateers as I can't look at replays right now. They will be reviewed as part of the general modding.
Also, would Colin Craig like to step forward or does anyone know who he is? Can't see who he is from the registrations but obviously had the race password although didn't partake. For now he has gone down as 'unknown'.
Will put the Privateers replay up later, incident reports asap please.

To answer your question Paul yes you can enter using tokens yet to be given. If you don't cross the start line you don't count for tokens in the event.

[Ronniepeterson]

First up congratulations to Ross on his win and Mike for third. A race of two halves. Got pole got the start and managed to build a small lead on Ross in the early laps. But I was thrown by the distinct absence of Martin anywhere in sight. Once I realised he was not on track I focused back on where Ross was and saw that he must have had a small issue as he was a bit further back.

Unfortunately this is where I made a fatal mistake. Instead of cracking on at qualy pace I settled into a 1.22.5 mode taking care going through any backmarkers (whose behaviour was exemplary I might hasten to add). For 30 plus laps I idled round when suddenly I woke up to find Ross large in my mirrors. Sure enough as soon as I tried to speed up I left the track. By the time I managed to avoid the armco and get back on track Ross had squeezed past and I was never going to catch him in the remaining one or two laps. Heroic drive Ross and I got what I deserved.

But to be honest I'm happy to have finished this one on the podium as opposed to on top of TableTop mountain!

One last point as it has to be said. Sorry you had hardware problems Martin. Its a shame for all of us who enjoy racing with you as well as your championship challenge. Hope to see you back on track soon mate.

[blito]

I had a lovely early night in bed.... but was STILL hungover this morning!!!
BTW - I have a vague recollection of replying to a PM about an incident - I have no idea what I wrote but I seem to think it might have been dreadfull so many apologies to whoever had to read it 

[Geoff65]

I had a lovely early night in bed.... but was STILL hungover this morning!!!
BTW - I have a vague recollection of replying to a PM about an incident - I have no idea what I wrote but I seem to think it might have been dreadfull so many apologies to whoever had to read it 

   

[Ross Neilson]

Also, would Colin Craig like to step forward or does anyone know who he is?

Looking at his profile's email address, Colin Craig is Arf Arf Arf.

[il_lupo_mannaro]

I was glad to start the race from third place as I got back home really late and I wasn't sure to be able to race.
Race start wasn't one of my best, so I lost one place with Geoff.
Made a couple of mistake but the pace wasn't bad.
Skymole hit me and trohw me out of track when moving side right to pass Mike,
I lost a lot of time until most of the drivers passed me, then, after the s+r I milled my left wheels on the pit armco: race ended!!
WD to the podium and everybody raced: see you all down under!

[vosblod]

BTW - I have a vague recollection of replying to a PM about an incident - I have no idea what I wrote but I seem to think it might have been dreadfull so many apologies to whoever had to read it 

It was a cracker, don't apologise a most enjoyable read - well what could be read LOL. You have used up your expletive allowance for the next ten years though

Also, would Colin Craig like to step forward or does anyone know who he is?

Looking at his profile's email address, Colin Craig is Arf Arf Arf.

Aha so probably initially joined with the wrong player profile, easily done. Will leave as is.